


Cheese Eaters - Chapter 2

by leofire608



Category: Marvel
Genre: Emetophobia, M/M, No Smut, Rated Mature because as a whole this series will be, Slow Build, minor but just in case
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-18 23:09:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7334413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leofire608/pseuds/leofire608
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fantomex investigates, and doesn't like something what he finds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cheese Eaters - Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

> Same general stuff as last time.

# Cheese Eaters,

# Chapter 2:

# First Contact, Part 2:

# Complications

# Fantomex X Batroc 

…

_December 17, 2014_

_3:00 AM_

_Over the Atlantic, 3 hours from Paris_

…  
“This facility is…something, I must say,” Fantomex addressed to the empty air, leaning back on the wall-mounted couch.  
[[Indeed. Fitting for the place where Hammer Industries’ most secret and dangerous prototypes are developed and stored,]] E.V.A replied.  
Fantomex pored over the building schematics on the table before him once more. “Basics again, please?”  
[[Structure has twelve levels, five basements and seven above-ground. The above-ground levels are apparently accounting and personnel housing; the basement levels are where we will find the prototype,]] E.V.A. relayed.  
“Only one lift can access the lowest level of the building, which is where this device will be stored. Let’s look over guard shifts and security details on that lift again-”  
An alarm began to blare, and Fantomex looked up. “E.V.A., what is going on?”  
[[An incoming communication from Justine Hammer’s secure line. Perhaps I should change that alarm to something less threatening…,]] she said in a lower voice. [[Ahem. Should I accept?]]  
“Of course. Is there video?”  
[[Yes. I will display momentarily,]] E.V.A. replied as the room’s ceiling reshaped and extruded into a large video screen. In an instant, Justine Hammer’s face was plastered across it in high definition. Fantomex realized that she looked worried.  
That was, itself, worrying.  
“Ms. Hammer,” he said, rising, “to what do we owe the pleasure of-”  
“This is important, Fantomex, so forgive me if I cut to the chase. My insider in Hammer Industries just contacted me. They said that Justin’s people sussed out their connection to me, and now Justin’s put the place on high alert thinking I’ll make a move for his new prototype.”  
“Perceptive of him,” the thief replied dryly.  
“Supposedly, he’s contacted a local professional to guard his facility until the device is taken to test. My contact couldn’t get a name.”  
“Outstanding…”  
“Don’t give me lip, thief. Just watch your back, and retrieve the device.”  
“I live to serve, Ms. Hammer,” Fantomex replied with a short bow. “Although I will levy a 10% raise to my fee for this most unwelcome complication, you know.”  
“Done. I’ll contact you again if need demands.”  
“Of course. Fantomex out,” and then E.V.A. terminated the feed and retracted the screen.  
Fantomex pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed deeply. “Jobs like this make me want to do something else.”  
[[Such as? I will again point out that you would make an excellent assassin…Provided you could restrain your impulse for the dramatic.]]  
“Which is precisely why I never went that route. But back to business. Security and guard shifts, please…”

…

_December 17, 2014_

_9:00 AM_

_Paris, France_

…  
“This place is…underwhelming, I must say,” Fantomex said to himself, sitting in a café across the street from Hammer Industries’ Paris facility. “Just an ugly grey bunker, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.”  
[[If it were flashy, it would garner attention. And attention is the enemy for people like Justin Hammer.]] E.V.A replied.  
“Any progress on finding out about this ‘professional’ Hammer hired?”  
[[No, I have been unable to find any useful information. I would recommend personal investigation.]]  
“No time. For now, I am just going to enjoy this coffee,” Fantomex muttered as he took a long sip from his mug.  
[[It is good coffee. Arabian blend, impeccably roasted.]]  
“We will stop at this café again, then. But after the job,” Fantomex said as he rose from the table, giving a short wave to the barista before he walked away.  
“Now, we go shopping. Where do we find what we need?”  
…

_3 hours later_

…  
E.V.A.’s aircraft form rested atop an abandoned warehouse several blocks away from the Hammer Industries facility, disguised by a dingy tarp that she stored for such occasions.  
Fantomex paced E.V.A.’s central room, looking at the climbing gear on the table. “Well, this was productive. How are you on locating weapons?”  
[[I have a source, located in the sewers not far from here. No one else has what you requested.]]  
“The sewer? Interesting. We will head there soon, then?”  
[[Immediately, once I retract the tarp.]]  
“Good. I will prep the hazard suit.”  
…

_1 hour later_

_Beneath the streets of Paris_

…  
Fantomex walked down the length of the corridor, sloshing through the filth of the citizens above. His suit, a baggy waterproof outfit in bright yellow, was already virtually ruined; nothing short of E.V.A.’s nanite-scrubbers would get this smell out.  
“Thank you for deactivating my sense of smell.”  
[[Of course. The exit’s just past the next left.]]  
“I will remind you that you found the contact in the sewers.”  
[[I am beginning to regret that]] E.V.A. replied dryly.  
“I would imagine. But at least your source was productive,” he said as he patted the duffel bag slung over his right shoulder.  
He went up the manhole ladder and pushed back the heavy cover, and pushed it back into place once he was topside. He unzipped the hazard suit, turned it inside out, and crumpled it into a small ball of fabric, which he placed in another bag. He then scaled a ladder on the side of the nearby warehouse, making it to the roof without being seen.  
“Care to come out?”  
[[Please.]]  
Fantomex glanced about the rooftop, checking that he was not being observed. “All clear.”  
And then he felt a weight drop into his stomach. He wretched once, twice, and then his vision blacked out. In an instant, it had returned, and he looked down at his feet to see a glistening silver baseball-sized sphere. It rolled away to the edge of the roof, and then began to expand.  
[[I must find a more efficient method of being deployed. I dislike causing you discomfort.]]  
“As you were programmed, apparently. And I agree.”  
In less than a minute, the sphere had expanded into the familiar shape of E.V.A.’s saucer form, 30 feet wide with twin disks around the edges. Fantomex strode over, watching as part of the craft’s quicksilver exterior opened seamlessly into a door and loading ramp. He made his way inside, and then into the central room, placing the duffel bag on the table. He unzipped it and removed the contents, placing them carefully on the table.  
[[All is in readiness.]]  
Fantomex glanced up at the ceiling. “Yes, I have all the items I need. Now we need to run through the plan.”  
[[When will we execute?]]  
“I was thinking tomorrow. Thursday’s guard shifts are the least prone to movement, and I would like as much time to practice as possible.”  
[[I agree. Tomorrow it is, then. I will continue investigating Hammer’s newest security addition.]]  
“You said you made no progress?”  
[[I know. But I have a plan, which we can execute tonight if you approve.]]  
“We need all the information we can get on this _professional_. Especially their combat capabilities. You have my approval to do whatever you need.”  
…  
8 hours later  
Above the streets of Paris  
…  
E.V.A.’s saucer hovered over the Hammer Industries facility. Fantomex double-checked the buckles on the harness he wore over his suit, which was attached at the waist to a bungee cable, itself attached to a projection that E.V.A. had shaped from the floor.  
[[We are in place. Act swiftly.]]  
“But of course. Now open up,” Fantomex replied, tapping a wall. E.V.A. responded as ordered, opening a door in that section of hull.  
“Here goes nothing,” Fantomex muttered. And then he leapt out the door, the bungee cable snapping taut 20 feet below as he touched the roof. He disconnected the cable from his waist and tapped the communicator in his mask.  
“I have made contact.”  
[[The communications array is to your right.]]  
Fantomex saw the cluster of antennae in question, on the eastern edge of the roof, and rushed to it. Withdrawing a silvery object the size of a ballpoint pen from his jacket, he dropped it into the nest of cables at the array’s base before rushing back to the dangling cable and reconnecting it to his waist clip. With a touch of a button, a mechanical reel began to spin, drawing him upwards into E.V.A.’s hull. As soon as the door closed behind him, he felt the craft lurch into motion.  
[[Mission status: complete. Once my probe worms into Hammer’s communications and visual monitoring, I will have the identity of our mystery professional,]] E.V.A. said with a hint of pride.  
“Excellent. Now can we touch down and get some rest?”  
[[Certainly, Fantomex. While you sleep, I will continue my work.]]

…

_December 18, 2014_

_8:00 AM_

_Paris, France_

…  
Fantomex padded out of his bedchamber into E.V.A.’s central room, stretching as he sat down. There was already food prepared on the table; a bowl of cereal flakes and a protein shake. He ate quickly, and then leaned back in his chair.  
“E.V.A., how did your investigation go?”  
In response, the ceiling above the table extruded downward and reshaped, forming a screen.  
[[My investigation was productive. Using facial recognition and local database searches, I identified our mystery man as one Georges Batroc, also known as ‘The Leaper.’]]  
Fantomex looked up at the screen, and at a mugshot being displayed.  
“Who convinced him that that moustache was a good idea?”  
[[Unknown. More importantly, analysis reveals that he possesses sufficient skill to challenge Captain America in hand-to-hand combat.]]  
 _“Hand-to-hand?”_ Fantomex stood, placing himself at eye level with the mugshot. “How is he with guns?”  
[[Databases reveal a service record with the French Foreign Legion, during which he would have received firearms instruction. He was a Caporal, until he left and began a new career as one of the world’s top mercenaries.]]  
“So is the moustache a soldier thing, then?”  
[[Enough about his unfortunate facial hair. I think he should be taken seriously as a threat.]]  
“Fair enough,” he responded, taking a seat again. “Any advice?”  
[[Searches reveal that he possesses Olympic-level physical attributes, on par with your own. You are in luck, actually; he usually acts with reinforcements, but they are not present.]]  
“So only Hammer’s own security stand between me and the device? And him?”  
[[Yes. Do you have a plan?]]  
Fantomex looked up at E.V.A.’s screen and smirked. “Oh, _yes_. Let me suit up, and we can initiate at dusk.”  
…

_December 18, 2014_

_7:00 PM_

_The skies of Paris, France_

…  
E.V.A. hovered in place over the Hammer Industries facility, waiting while Fantomex did a final check of his supplies. He slung a large device over his right shoulder, clipped the bungee to his waist, and then placed the rest of his supplies in pouches or on clips as needed.  
“All right, then. Time to go.”  
[[Yes. On your signal, I will deactivate the security cameras.]]  
“Good work. Now open up, and wait.”  
E.V.A. did so, her exterior forming the necessary orifice. Fantomex looked out, at the dark roof below. He inhaled deeply, to steady himself.  
“Here goes nothing,” he muttered under his breath.  
And then he leapt.  
He felt the roof under his feet but a second later. He needed no instructions from E.V.A. this time; she had placed him at dead center, right beside the lift. Reaching what he needed, he drew the necessary device from its shoulder strap: a high-powered laser cutter the size of a rifle. He pressed a button on his mask to polarize the lenses, then pointed the business end at the wall and activated it, triggering a beam of searing light. In seconds, he had cut through. Removing the piece of metal with a magnet to expose the elevator cables within, he squeezed his upper body through the opening. Looking down the shaft, he could see the roof of the elevator car far below. As he went to draw a tool for just this scenario, the cables jerked into motion, as the car drew down the shaft.  
[[I took the liberty of using my probe to infiltrate certain other electrical systems. The swifter we finish this operation, the better.]]  
“Good of you,” Fantomex said as the car stopped. He stepped onto the roof, drawing the torch again.  
“E.V.A., is it empty?”  
[[Yes. You should proceed. I have locked the security camera inside.]]  
He did so, cutting through the roof with considerable ease and then dropping down. He pressed the button leading to the twelfth and lowest level, and then waited for the _real_ fun to start. 


End file.
